Gezora
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- Taro Kudo: “I'd say that giant octopus is our monster. Maybe what the natives call Gezora isn't a myth. Tell me Doctor, now what are we gonna do? Why do you think he let us go? [...]”
- Dr. Kyoichi Mida: “I don't know, I don't know anything at all. All my knowledge of biology and none of it's any use to me at all.”
- ― Taro Kudo and Kyoichi Mida, after having been nearly killed at the hands of Gezora. (Space Amoeba)
Gezora (ゲゾラ Gezora) is a mutated cuttlefish kaiju created by Toho that first appeared in the 1970 Toho film, Space Amoeba.
A kisslip cuttlefish mutated by the ever-transient space amoeba Yog off the coast of Sergio Island, Gezora was regarded as a mythical beast by the island's natives. Emerging from the waters, the monster attacked a pair of men attempting to fish and took its first victim in the form of a man named Sakura. Although the other, an engineer by the name of Yokoyama, would escape with his life, he was left traumatically scarred by the incident. Yokoyama would later agree to join a small group of Japanese visitors to the island in surveying a cave connected to the ocean's waters, only to be startled by the appearance of Gezora's trademark bioluminescent glow and flee the scene with an islander named Rico. Gezora emerged from the ocean and decimated the camp which Yokoyama had fled to, killing him, and attempted to do the same to Rico but was fortunately repelled by the ultrasonic waves emitted from a nearby colony of native bats, leaving the man in a near-unresponsive state and with a number of frostbitten wounds. Gezora was later discovered by Taro Kudo and Dr. Kyoichi Mida dwelling on the seafloor, entrapping the former in its tentacle, but letting the man go after being seemingly distracted by a family of dolphins swimming nearby. Gezora then emerged from the ocean once more and attacked another native outpost, killing several. After some conspiring, Gezora was ultimately killed by Taro, Dr. Mida, and the rest of the group with help from a few natives, by drenching a field in gasoline and luring the monster to it with gunshots before setting it ablaze with torches, exploiting its aversion for fire and other high-temperature substances.
Although never featured in a Godzilla film aside from stock footage in the beginning of Godzilla: Final Wars, the tentacled monster became the most popular of the Space Amoeba trio, subsequently appearing in a variety of Toho-licensed Godzilla media, ranging from official fantasy matchup artwork in books, to video games (two of which didn't even feature Ganimes or Kamoebas), to American comics, and even the novel GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, where he emerged from the Mediterranean Sea in the later 2010's and hindered refugee movement out of Europe.
Name
Gezora's name comes from the Japanese word geso (下足), meaning squid tentacles, and ra, a common suffix for kaiju names. Gezora's name was initially rejected due to being "too obvious," but Ishiro Honda gave it his approval and thus it was used.[8] Originally, the monster's name was Zogera (ゾゲラ),[1] though this was scrapped in favor of the final name for unknown reasons.
Assistant director Teruyoshi Nakano has openly expressed regret in the names of Gezora, Ganimes, and Kamoebas, even rather jokingly suggesting "Gesoi" as a better name for Gezora, saying at a panel at G-Fest in 2004, "We made a mistake in naming those kaiju! One reason that [Space Amoeba] was not successful was because no one liked their names. Since Gezora is a big squid, it would have been better to call him Gesoi because that's what people say when they order sushi! But then everyone would think you're ordering sushi! So the names of the kaiju were bad" and "The names of these kaiju in Japanese are lousy. The names don't fit, and the kaiju just aren't scary. Maybe if we named the three differently, the movie would have been better. It was the names that killed the three kaiju."[2]
Development
Gezora's design was based after real-life cephalopods,[6] and, according to assistant director Teruyoshi Nakano, the principle that "by making things people know huge, they'd be scary."[2] Nobuyuki Yasumaru was responsible for constructing the model of Gezora,[8] while the suit was modeled by veteran Toho modelers Teizo Toshimitsu and Yasuei Yagi, and portrayed by Haruo Nakajima.[6] The suit was made in such a fashion that it could be split into two pieces, a top piece, encompassing the entirety of the upper part of its head, and a bottom piece, encompassing the rest of its head and the whole of its body, and would often be worn by Haruo Nakajima with the top piece off during rehearsals.[4]
Originally, the eyes of the suit were intended to be able to move, however the mechanism broke during filming and was never repaired.[8] Producer Fumio Tanaka later commented on this in a 1995 interview, saying "I remember that at one point during the production of [Space Amoeba], the eyes of Gezora, the giant squid, stopped working, but shooting was not stopped" and went on further to link this oversight to the passing of special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, saying "Mr. Tsuburaya had more influence within Toho than Teisho Arikawa did. So the members of the special effects staff were given less time in which to do their work after Mr. Tsuburaya died. This made them work a little less carefully than they previously had."[9] In order to better sell the illusion of Gezora being a real creature and to give it less of a feel of a human in a suit, Haruo Nakajima's legs were intentionally concealed among the creature's various other tentacles.[4] To further this, Nakajima made an effort to shake his body as he walked in the suit to give the illusion that the remaining tentacles were also moving,[4] while Gezora's two longest, frontmost tentacles were primarily operated by wires. A, or possibly several, human miniature(s) were constructed and attached to one of Gezora's tentacles in certain scenes to convey the effect of it picking up and killing civilians, such as when it ensnares, drowns, and presumably consumes Sakura. Additionally, for scenes such as the one where Gezora's tentacles burst into the house that Yokoyama and Rico are in, a 1/1 scale (full-size) tentacle prop was constructed[1][4] and operated by piano wires.
Sadamasa Arikawa checks the Gezora suit during filming
The full-size Gezora tentacle prop during filming
History
Showa Series
Space Amoeba
Gezora was created when the alien amoeba Yog possessed and mutated a cuttlefish in the waters off Sergio Island. Yog used Gezora to attack the island. Gezora damaged many buildings and killed several people, but the natives and a group of Japanese visiting the island lured him to a field covered in gasoline from an old munitions dump. The gasoline was lit, setting Gezora ablaze. With massive burns and sores covering its body, the giant cuttlefish ran back to the sea, where it presumably died. Yog escaped, and traveled back to the island to continue his attack.
Abilities
Amphibiousness
Although able to travel on land, Gezora is primarily an aquatic creature, and as such is capable of swimming and breathing underwater.
Bioluminescence
When underwater, Gezora is able to emit bands of bright, blue light, which ultimately came to be recognized as a sign of the monster's presence. In a similar manner, when on land, Gezora's eyes continuously blink a yellow light, and his body also seems to periodically glow a dim blue, such as when he is being shot at by Taro and Dr. Mida.
Gezora emits its blue glow before churning the waters
Tentacles
Gezora has ten long, suction-cup-laden tentacles which are effective at pinning[5][note 1] and constricting people or objects. Within the film, Gezora uses its tentacles to great effect, striking objects from a distance and knocking them over or using them to constrict people to then either toss or drown them.
Sakura is ensnared in Gezora's tentacle and drowned
Gezora tosses the island elder Onbo with its tentacle, killing him
Ink
Gezora possesses a tube on its body, from which large quantities of ink can be secreted underwater.[5][note 2] Much like real-world cephalopods, this ink acts as a sort of smokescreen, hampering visibility greatly.
Freezing Temperature
Gezora is an extremely cold-blooded creature, with a body temperature close to freezing. Because of this, Gezora is able to cool the water and air around him to freezing temperatures and is even said to be able to instantaneously freeze opponents,[5][note 3] though the latter is only somewhat displayed when Gezora's tentacles leave the islander Rico with a number of frostbitten wounds. Its body also seems to emanate a sub-zero gas, leaving a trail of white fog wherever it roams.
Gezora's tentacle emanates with a freezing smoke
Gezora generates a gust of wind, due to the smoke emanating from its body
Durability
Gezora displayed some resistance to conventional weaponry, such as being unfazed by a number of rifle shots and having its skin unable to be pierced by a knife or harpoon.
Taro Kudo attempts to free himself from Gezora's tentacle by stabbing at it with a knife, to no avail
Kyoichi Mida unsuccessfully attempts to pierce Gezora's skin with a harpoon as Taro Kudo continues to use his knife
Gezora is merely agitated by a number of rifle shots from Taro Kudo and Kyoichi Mida
Weaknesses
Gezora is weakened by high temperatures. This ultimately caused Gezora's demise in Space Amoeba, when it was lured onto a field drenched with gasoline, which upon being lit, fatally burned the creature. Gezora is also extremely vulnerable to ultrasonic waves, a trait also shared by the other two kaiju spawned by Yog: Kamoebas and Ganimes.[5][note 4] This is demonstrated after Gezora's first shown attack on Sergio Island, when it is deterred by the ultrasonic waves emitted from a colony of native bats.
Gezora's tentacle is accidentally scalded by a small fire
Gezora collapses into the ocean after attempting to flee, and ultimately dies
Gezora is deterred by the ultrasonic waves emitted by a colony of island bats
Filmography
- Space Amoeba (1970)
- Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) [stock footage]
Video Games
- Monster's Fair (1986) - Microsoft MSX
- Godzilla: Monster of Monsters! (1988) - Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1993) - Nintendo Game Boy
- Godzilla Generations (1998) - Sega Dreamcast
- Godzilla: Trading Battle (1998) - Sony PlayStation
- Godzilla: Kaiju Collection (2015) - Android and iOS
Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!
Gezora, along with Moguera, appears on every world in the game. Its only means of attack is extending a single tentacle, which deals minimal damage. However, it is highly mobile, and often stalls for time by trapping Godzilla or Mothra at the edge of the screen, allowing it to regenerate health as the turn ends. Unless the 'DESTR0Y ALL M0NSTERS' code is in effect, Gezora will always be the boss with the lowest health on a given world.
Gezora in Monster's Fair
Gezora in Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!
Gezora traps Mothra
Gezora in Godzilla Generations
Gezora in Godzilla: Trading Battle
Gezora in Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
Books
GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse
Gezora appeared in the Mediterranean in the latter half of the 2010's and hindered refugee movement out of Europe.[10]
Comics
- Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #3-4, 8-9, 11-12 (2013-2014)
- Godzilla: Rage Across Time #5 (2016)
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
Gezora first appeared in issue #3, where it attacked the survivors of the U.S.S. Goldstein, which had been sunk by Manda, while under the control of the Devonian aliens. In issue #9, it attacked a naval fleet assembled near where Godzilla fought Biollante, alongside Manda and Titanosaurus. Godzilla drove the three monsters off, swinging Manda into Gezora while blasting it with his atomic breath. Destoroyah joined the three monsters to defend the Devonian capital against Godzilla in issues #11 and 12. Gezora tried to constrict Godzilla with its tentacles, but was quickly taken out of the fight by two blasts of Godzilla's atomic breath. Gezora evidently survived the nuclear explosions which destroyed the Devonian capital, as a Trilopod which had absorbed its DNA appeared in Los Angeles four years later. However, Gezora was never seen inside the Trilopod hive, nor did it take part in the final battle between the Earth monsters and the Trilopods.
The cave painting on Infant Island in issue #9 classifies Gezora as a water monster, along with Zilla, Varan, Ganimes, Ebirah, Titanosaurus, Manda, and Kamoebas.
Godzilla: Rage Across Time
In the early Cretaceous Period, Gezora attempted to steal a pair of dinosaurs killed by Ebirah. Rodan claimed the meal instead, knocking both kaiju over as he flew by.
In Other Languages
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Russian
Gallery
- Main article: Gezora/Gallery.
Roar
Gezora's roars were later reused for the kaiju Kinger and Stegodzillas in Go! Godman, Bemstar and King Maimai in The Return of Ultraman, and Birdon in Ultraman Taro. The breathing noises Gezora makes were used for Hedorah in Godzilla vs. Hedorah. Gezora's roar is rendered as "XXKKIIIIRRR" in Godzilla: Rage Across Time.
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Trivia
- Despite never appearing in a Godzilla film (not counting its stock footage appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars), Gezora has been featured in numerous other Godzilla media, including video games such as Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!, Godzilla: Trading Battle and the comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth and Godzilla: Rage Across Time.
Notes
- ↑ 10 long tentacles and their giant suction cups for pinning. / 10本の長い触手とその大吸盤で押さえ込む。
- ↑ A large quantity of ink spat from an ink tube to create a world of darkness. / 墨汁管で大量の墨を吐き暗黒の世界を作る。
- ↑ Because it is a cold-blooded animal with a body temperature of near-freezing, it can instantly freeze an opponent. / 体温が氷点に近い冷血動物なので、瞬間に敵を凍らせる。
- ↑ It is weak against high temperature fire due to its low body temperature, and is vulnerable to ultrasonic waves. / 体温が低いので高熱の火に弱く、超音波にも弱い。
References
This is a list of references for Gezora. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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